Chapter 496: Will You Continue to Hire Them Next Year?

When Yang Jin pulled out the single-person flyer she had been looking forward to from his big backpack, Xia Qing was amazed to find that the flyer looked a lot like a self-balancing scooter.

The difference was that the pre-catastrophe self-balancing scooters ran on electricity, while this thing burned fuel.

Although this flyer looked nothing like what Xia Qing had imagined, the more she looked at it, the more she liked it.

Not for any other reason, but because it was small and easy to carry, and it could let her fly! Flying freely through the sky is humanity's dream, but unfortunately, even though humans have now evolved, no one has grown wings and become a bird-person.

"The full name of this model is the Portable Single-Person Flying Skateboard. It has five micro turbojet engines, so even if a single engine fails, it can still fly normally. I got the operation tutorial for this flyer and saved it in the laptop. You can open it and take a look now."

After saying that, Yang Jin took out the laptop and printer as well, placed them on the table, and let Xia Qing inspect the goods.

These two supplies were what Xia Qing had traded with Yang Jin in exchange for python meat.

As Xia Qing opened the laptop and watched the person in the video tutorial stepping on the flyer, flying rapidly through the air and making turns, her whole face lit up.

Seeing she was already itching to try it, Yang Jin reminded her, "This flyer uses fuel as its power source, so it makes noise during operation—that's its first weakness. The second weakness is that once its fuel tank is hit, it will explode. So this flyer currently doesn't have much use in actual combat; it's commonly used for Evolution Forest exploration missions. If you want to test-fly it, you can go to Mountain Fifty."

This flyer was confiscated supplies and couldn't be seen by people from Liehuo or Sufeng, so before it was officially accounted for, it couldn't be used within the territory.

However, Xia Qing had already figured out how to officially account for this flyer: she'd ask Daya to change its appearance, then pretend this flyer was traded with Third Brother.

Once it was officially accounted for, she could fly there when she went to inspect Mountain Fifty and visit the Queen at Mountain Sixty-One.

Thinking of the expressions on Head Wolf and Broken-Waist Wolf when they saw her fly over, Xia Qing was filled with anticipation.

After putting away the three precious pieces of equipment, Xia Qing first discussed the firebreak construction task with Yang Jin. "Territories Four, Five, Six, Ten, and Fifteen can each send fifty people, eighteen Evolvers and thirty-two ordinary people among them, all strong laborers. They bring their own basic tools, but they don't have advanced weapons, so the daily commute between the territories and the Mountain Fifty mission site needs an escort. To make coming and going easier…"

Xia Qing took out the map of Mountain Fifty, spread it on the table, pointed at the valley between Mountain Forty-Nine and Mountain Fifty, and discussed it with Yang Jin.

"We can widen these three spots in this valley, and move aside the big rocks on the valley floor. Then vehicles can pass through the valley, and the round-trip time will be greatly shortened."

"We think alike. I was just about to bring this up with you." Yang Jin tapped the westernmost spot of the firebreak he had circled in pencil on Mountain Fifty. "Based on the terrain, the road from the valley to the firebreak is easiest to build from here…"

Twenty minutes later, the two had finalized the details of the firebreak task and sat down to drink good tea brewed with pollution-free spring water.

Yang Jin asked with a smile, "I see you have frequent dealings with these territories participating in the firebreak task. What agreement have you reached among yourselves? Can Territory One join?"

Since Yang Jin had asked, Xia Qing no longer kept it from him and said half-jokingly, "We've formed a Lord Alliance. If you agree to let Brother Luo withdraw from the Azure Dragon Squad, then all members of the Lord Alliance will certainly line up to welcome Territory One's Lord Luo to join us. However, even if Brother Luo doesn't join, we and the Azure Dragon Squad are allies, not enemies."

Yang Jin laughed. The features that were sharp and cold in front of outsiders now seemed tinged with the afterglow of the sunset, warm and calm. "Alright, I'll ask Brother Luo when he gets back."

Luo Pei was the Third Boss of Azure Dragon—how could he possibly withdraw? Xia Qing didn't take Yang Jin's words seriously. She took mountain walnuts from her pocket and placed them on the table. "Three mountain walnuts, please accept them."

Yang Jin stared at Xia Qing's slightly swollen knuckles for two seconds before asking, "Are these mountain walnuts a bit on the small side?"

"Mm."

Xia Qing took a sip of tea, skipped right past that topic, and began discussing the next trade. "On November 30th, you mobilized four main combat squads and two reconnaissance squads from Azure Dragon to help me block the people from Territory Nine, didn't you?"

Yang Jin corrected her, "It was from November 30th to before 8 a. m. on December 1st—eight hours—so it should be counted as a day and a half."

Xia Qing……

"And I led the team personally."

Xia Qing……

Boss? Stop grazing in the greenhouse and come gouge this iron rooster out of our territory!

Half an hour later, Yang Jin took twenty catties of python meat from Xia Qing with a smile and began discussing the next trade. "On March 15th of next year, the Beard Feng Squad's mission to protect Territory Three will be complete. Are you satisfied with their performance over the past six months or so? Are you planning to hire them again next year?"

Having cut the python meat from two hundred catties down to twenty, Xia Qing had now grasped the essence of negotiation. She replied with a smile, "Captain Hu and his squad members' work ability and attitude both deserve full marks. Thank you for sending such an excellent squad to protect my territory. However, whether to continue hiring them next year, I'm still considering."

"Although the Beard Feng Squad's overall combat strength isn't the strongest among the Azure Dragon Squads, they absolutely abide by the Azure Dragon Squad's rules. If you don't plan to continue hiring people to guard your territory, within the Hui San Base range, they are your best choice." Yang Jin finished speaking and stood up, preparing to take his leave.

Xia Qing nodded in agreement, stood up, and while seeing Yang Jin out of the territory, entered the low-slope planting greenhouse and said softly, "The Qiangwu Grass is about to bloom."

Yang Jin was pleasantly surprised. "Both of them are about to bloom?"

"One of them—the intact one." The two walked to the spring cave. Before Xia Qing could move, Yang Jin easily moved aside the stone blocking the cave entrance, shone his flashlight on the Qiangwu Grass, examined it carefully for a while, then turned to look at Xia Qing in pleasant surprise. "Is this little sprout that just emerged a flower bud?"

After Xia Qing nodded, Yang Jin sighed, "I thought Qiangwu Grass would reproduce through division, but I didn't expect it to bloom and produce seeds. If the seeds can sprout and grow successfully, we'll have struck it rich."

Xia Qing replied, "Don't worry, my lord. I will carefully tend to and protect these two precious Qiangwu Grass plants within my territory."

Yang Jin immediately understood what Xia Qing meant to express. He smiled and nodded. "Since we split the Qiangwu Grass fifty-fifty, the responsibility for cultivation falls to you, and the responsibility for protection should fall to me. How about this—if you continue to hire the Beard Feng Squad next year, the hiring price can be twenty percent off."

Twenty percent off? Xia Qing's face remained calm. "You're too kind, my lord. Don't worry, I will give it serious consideration."

After seeing Yang Jin off, Xia Qing called Sheep Boss out of the greenhouse, had it carry the flyer, laptop, and printer, and went home with her.

After hiding the supplies, Xia Qing put a few yellow lantern peanuts and a small bottle of pollution-free spring water into an insulated bag and hurried to Section Three of Mountain Forty-Nine to visit her good neighbor, the Red Squirrel.